


Haunting

by Ren_Kyun



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Angst, Grief, Hallucinations, Lots of Crying, M/M, One-Shot, This actually hurts my heart a little too, Tragedies are my bread and butter, Tragedy, Where was I going with this?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-06-04 09:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6653161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ren_Kyun/pseuds/Ren_Kyun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Chrom. I'm sorry. I'm not real." And he cries to another sleepless night.</p><p>Post Endgame after Robin sacrifices himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Haunting

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, okay. This is dangerous posting this. Let me explain the circumstances and you can choose to believe me or not. But it wasn't popular anyway before so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ this probably doesn't even matter. Whateves.
> 
> I have no clue what account I originally posted this on, but it was on fanfiction.net. I may have simply remodeled the account this was on and deleted the story this was initially on or lost the account name/password and I have so many emails ahA there's no hope in recovering it. So I did NOT steal this work. I re-read it in my notes and was like "shit this ain't half bad" and fixed it up a little (gods my grammar was deplorable back then....) 
> 
> If you saw this on a different person, it was previously me :D Maybe? Or someone else stole it lmao that would be hilarious.

"My love," a soft whisper, the sound of rustling in the sheets, "I'm so sorry," his head resting firmly on the wet pillow, hand not daring to touch the other's. "I'm so sorry, Chrom...

"I'm not real."

And his image fades away, sparkling peacefully into the darkness. Chrom didn't move; he didn't breathe. What was happening? Why was it happening? His lover was gone, taken from right under his grasp. He sacrificed the most precious thing, his life, in exchange for permanent peace. Yet every night, he appears next to his side always facing him, always repeating the same thing, "I'm so sorry, Chrom, I'm not real." Then, he's gone like dust in the wind. Has he finally snapped? Gone completely mental? Probably, most likely. It's too soon, yet he was busy at work trying his best to rebuild an entire haildom.

Without him by his side.

He turned in the bed facing the ceiling and sinking the mattress further. His arm rested against his forehead exhausted. The morning light threatened to shine through the curtains marking yet another sleepless night. He was being haunted. By him, by the dragon, by his stress, by his guilt. He was definately repenting for something.

If only he'd been faster; if only he saw that dark cloak pass him before it was too late....

He could've....

Gritting his teeth and forcefully squeezing his eyelids closed, he scolded himself trying to imitate the words he would've used, "Cease your brooding and get up. You have responsibilities. I'll help you with.... them." The last part was thrown out as a choked sob. An accident because it was such a habit. The same lines of reprimanding followed by a soft assurance of their bond. He always was there for him to lean on.

But now he was-

" _I get it_ ," he groaned to himself opening his eyes to stare at the blank ceiling once again, "I understand, already."

Most definately going mad.

There was a gentle knock on his door. "Brother." A familar, young voice spoke into the door to his room, "You're decent, right? I'm coming in." The large door was pushed open, wood scraping against wood. "Brother?"

"You haven't even let me answer your question, and yet you barge right in, Lissa? How rude."

Lissa snorted a very unladylike sound. She held a tray with two porcelain tea cups on them, ornate and fit for royalty. Steam was rising out of them showing their freshness. She set the china down on the night stand and sat on the mattress shifting the weight slightly. "Well, sorry for trying to be considerate and bringing you tea," she smacked the man's arm lightly while smiling carefully, "I doubt my immature brother would've answered seriously anyway."

He rolled his eyes putting up his best face. "Well, if my immature sister would ever listen, she would know that I'm not even that fond of having tea before I eat."

"Oh, excuse me for my horrible mistake." She retorted caustically. "Maybe if you'd get up on time, I wouldn't have to do this."

"Wake up on time?" He repeated.

She nodded, taking one of the cups. "It's nearly noon. This was the seventh time you've been late for a meeting. Luckily, we have our wary knight making excuses to the council for your absence." She took little sips with her pinky up, holding herself back from just drinking it normally.

Chrom rubbed his face and sat up. He took a cup and stared at the liquid. It was already noon? He was certain that just a moment ago was sunrise.

Maybe they should find a new, _saner_ exalt....

"Anyway," Lissa looked to Chrom with a concerned expression setting down the cup and folding her hands on her lap. Body language that told Chrom that this was going to be a lengthy, serious talk. "everyone is worried about you, Brother. You haven't been the same since the final battle, with good reason, but.... It's been three months, and...."

Taking a big gulp out of the tea cup, he held up a hand and stopped her. "I know. I'm trying; I really am. You have to believe me."

"No! Oh gods, Brother, I'm not blaming you. No one is. We know you've been doing your best to cope with his sacrifice-"

He stifled a flinch.

"-We just.... We want to help you."

"How?" He murmured twisting the cup in his hand.

Lissa swallowed, breathing in. Chrom readied himself knowing that she was most likely going to spit some unreasonable nonsense at him. The kind he just wouldn't take. "We've been, um, discussing..... how you could possibly remarry and move on from-"

Shattering in his hand, the expensive tea cup was nothing more than pieces after the words left her mouth. He clutched them firmly trying to comprehend the chicken scratch his sister had just uttered.

Her eyes widened even though she expected a response like this one. Maybe she probably should've removed anything from his grasp before telling him the news. "B-Brother! Loosen your hand,! You're cutting your hand!" She grabbed his arm and wrestled his fingers from his now red palms. "Brother!"

The man blinked and relaxed his hands allowing the stained shards to drop from his scratched palm. A few pieces stuck in his skin due to his grip from before. Lissa examined the injury frowning. "Stupid, stupid Brother. Do you ever think?"

"Are you thinking!?" Chrom countered. " _Remarry_? I say this now and my opinion will never change: I'm married already, and when I find him, I'll prove it to-"

 

" _It's been five years, Brother!_ "

The two glared at each other in the midst of a sibling argument before Chrom processed what his sister had said. "Wait a second.... five years!?"

"Brother, you're scaring me. Yes, it's been five years. Face reality; it's been five whole-"

"No, no, no. Dear Naga, you just said it's been three months since his disappearance-"

"Three months!? _Are you mad!?_ "

"I'm not! I swear you said-"

"Papa?" A new voice echoed throughout the large room catching the two siblings' attention. At the large doors stood a little girl, no older than six, staring at their spout. "Papa?" She questioned again, "Why are you and Aunty fighting?"

Lissa immediately stood up and ran to the girl. "Oh, it's late! Why are you out of bed?" She kneeled in front of her, showing a disapproving frown.

"Papa's finally up." She said simply with a hint of exhaustion in her lungs. "Papa's usually never up."

"I know...." Lissa hugged the girl suddenly, "I know."

Meanwhile, Chrom stared shell-shocked at the new developement. Standing right in front of him was his daughter, who was most definately still supposed to be only a few months old (and not the one from the future, but that's a whole seperate story), have a merry old chat with his sister. And _late_? It was _late_? Chrom remembered it just being morning a minute ago and appearently noon a few seconds ago.

He's bonkers. Completely lost it. Finally gone insane.

"My love." He turned to the voice and saw the face that wasn't supposed to be there. "Chrom." His voice was like a painful echo that never ceased.

Chrom buried his face into his hands and made a horrible noise. "Stop this. Stop doing this! You may haunt my dreams, but do not make me lose my mind like this!" A slight tremble began as he pleaded to nothing in particular.

He was never the same.

"Come back! Come back! Stop this nonsense!"

"Chr-"

" _Stop!!!_ " He cried cutting the projection off. He lost his final grip on the world and sank into darkness, confused in this new reality. "Stop taunting me!"

"Chrom-"

" _Quit it!!!_ "

"I'm so sorry-"

The man wept.

"I'm not real."

He sat upright in a bolt gripping the sheets of the bed. Sweat trickled down his back, forehead, everywhere as he tried to make sense of everything. His vision was blurry, and he realized that he was crying. What was happening?

His cruel imagination had left him dishevel and disoriented. He called for someone, anyone. His sister, his soldiers, his friends. Him. People came immediately; after all he was royalty.

"Milord!"

"Brother!

"Sire!"

The door was pushed opened violently as a group flooded into his chambers. Soldiers wielding lances and swords stood at the ready, and his sister looked at his with a shocked face. Something had happened, for her brother was not the type to scream for anyone.

Chrom paused and let his head fall into his hand. He breathed in heavy, messy breaths as he collected himself.

His sister slowly approached him only to be held back by another soldier. "Careful, Milady." He looked from left to right. "There might be a threat. We don't know why Sire called us."

"No." Chrom sighed and looked at the group with exhausted, blue eyes. "I apologize, it was just a dream - erm... nightmare is the better word."

Everyone all at once released their breath relieved their lord wasn't in any immediate danger. His sister and a knight pushed through the throng of people and stood at Chrom's bedside. "You're all dismissed, thank you." Lissa said to the soldiers.

As everyone left, the knight shot the man a most concerned look. "Milord..."

"It's nothing, Frederick. I promise."

"You lie." Interjected Lissa.

The man glared at her before rubbing his neck and looking away to avoid their lingering gaze. "There's a meeting today, correct? What time of day is it now?"

"It's morning, Milord," Frederick raised an eyebrow, "but how did you know you had a meeting today? I don't recall every informing you of one."

"Just a hunch," was Chrom's quick response. He pushed the sheets off of his body and shifted sitting on the edge of the bed. He tried his best to yawn and stretch casually ignoring the holes the two burned into him.

"Is breakfast prepared yet?" was all Chrom asked before beginning his day.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Trivia: The previous work this was on was called Choices and I used Female My Unit so I had to change all the 'she's to 'he's. Also I was in a pretty experimental phase so I tried to make this Robin every man's Robin by not even using names (as you can see), but in my head he/she was and will always be the default white-haired cuties :)
> 
> (Lol I remember some shithead left a negative and unfair review and I got kinda pissed. Ah, young Ren needs to chill)


End file.
